New Alabama law bans smoking in cars with children 14 and younger

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - A new law recently went into effect to protect kids while they’re in a vehicle. It has nothing to do with car accidents, but some hope it will keep them safe from what they could be breathing while inside a vehicle.

The new law, which bans adults from smoking in a vehicle with anyone 14 years of age or younger, aims to protect children from secondhand smoke while inside a vehicle.

A post spread on social media by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) and several county health departments said “Alabama law prohibits smoking or vaping in enclosed motor vehicles with children ages 14 and younger as passengers.”

“Children’s smaller bodies take in a larger amount of air, so tobacco smoke is particularly hazardous to them,” the press release from ADPH read. It went on to say secondhand smoke can cause ear and respiratory infections, asthma attacks, and even Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in infants and children.

The ADPH says rolling down your window while smoking does not protect those passengers from secondhand smoke.

Smoking or vaping with a child in the car is a secondary violation. If pulled over for another reason, a driver caught smoking with a child in the car will result in a fine of up to $100.

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